What did Joe Lycett think of his hard-won answer? (Picture: Channel 4)
David Beckham has finally responded to Joe Lycett’s money-shredding stunt with a statement for the comedian’s Channel 4 show after failing to pull out of his multi-million pound deal with World Cup hosts Qatar.
Last month, Lycett, 34, gave the former England footballer an ultimatum to end his contract with the nation, where homosexuality is still illegal, or he would destroy £10,000 of his own money.
Beckham, 47, did not publicly respond at the time, with Lycett going through with his threat to destroy the cash on a livestream, although it was later revealed that the money was fake and that he had donated it to LGBTQ+ charities.
However, the TV host was eventually given a statement by Beckham’s team to read out during a special edition of Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back, Joe Lycett vs Beckham: Got Your Back at Xmas, which aired on Thursday night.
In it, the footballer and his team claimed it was ‘a positive’ that ‘debate about the key issues has been stimulated directly’ by the World Cup being held in the region.
The response also acknowleged that there were ‘different and strongly held views about engagement in the Middle East’.
The former footballer’s team issued a statement (Picture: AFP)
Lycett agreed with a social media user that he had ‘achieved nothing’ (Picture: Channel 4)
It read in full: ‘David has been involved in a number of World Cups and other major international tournaments both as a player and an ambassador and he has always believed that sport has the power to be a force for good in the world.
‘Football, the most popular sport globally, has a genuine ability to bring people together and make a real contribution to communities.
‘We understand that there are different and strongly held views about engagement in the Middle East but see it as a positive that debate about the key issues has been stimulated directly by the first World Cup being held in the region.’
The comment finished: ‘We hope that these conversations will lead to greater understanding and empathy towards all people and that progress will be achieved.’
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‘I’ve been told by our lawyers I can’t make any comment about that message,’ Lycett explained after reading it out, instead going on to quote a tweet he had received in relation to his stunt, claiming he had ‘achieved nothing’.
‘I’m sad to say he’s right,’ The TV host said.
‘Basically I did achieve nothing. Beckham still hasn’t directly addressed the situation faced by LGBTQ+ people in Qatar and I am still not in a long-term relationship with Zac Efron.‘
He then went on to criticise companies and celebrities who were happy to ‘slap a rainbow’ on something and pose as allies, ‘but run away the moment it gets difficult’.
Beckham, previously considered a gay icon, accepted a sponsorship deal from a country where homosexuality is still illegal (Picture: Getty)
Lycett explained on Lorraine last week that he wanted to convince David Beckham to speak out and spark a change in Qatar’s laws.
Beckham was hailed an ‘icon’ within the LGBTQ+ community in 2002 when he became the first ever Premier League footballer to star on the cover of Attitude, a gay magazine.
However, his status as an LGBTQ+ ally came into question after his involvement with Qatar was revealed.
Last week, Lycett claimed the footballing star’s team has been in touch, but that he ‘wasn’t sure legally what I’m allowed to say’.
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Speaking to the podcast The News Agent with Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel, he said that he was ‘not satisfied with where we’ve got to, let’s put it that way.’
When pressed by host Maitlis whether the team were offering money or donations to LGBTQ+ charities, Lycett claimed there was ‘none of that.’
‘They’re not offering anything really. They’re just talking to us a little bit,’ he said.
‘I think they’re just trying to get it to go away really. Which it will eventually, and it won’t affect him long term.’
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Lycett also admitted this week that his ‘anxiety really spiked’ while pulling his viral stunt, as he was receiving messages from neighbours, friends and family begging him not to go ahead with it.
Other celebrities including Will Young also slammed Beckham for accepting the deal, said to be worth millions of pounds.
Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back is available to watch on All 4.
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